Part 5 (1/2)
”Old Man of the Moon?” the fish said. ”Good luck! Finding him will be harder than finding the Dragon Gate!”
Minli and the dragon looked at each other and shrugged.
”But the City of Bright Moonlight is just past the forest, over there,” the fish continued. ”Swim over to this side and you can see it in the distance.”
And, just as the fish said, Minli and the dragon saw the city. An enormous wall, like a giant patchwork curtain of stone, surrounded the thousands of houses of the city. And almost glowing with the splendor of its red columns and golden top, a palace stood up over the cl.u.s.ters of buildings in the far center - like a glorious boat floating above the waves of the scalloped rooftop tiles. Even from a distance, the city looked majestic.
”If you are stopping at the City of Bright Moonlight,” the fish continued, ”I think Dragon here should probably try to stay hidden. People of Bright Moonlight might be shocked to see a real dragon. The last dragon sighted was about a hundred years ago - and it destroyed the king's father's palace in a city in the East. They might not take too kindly to you.”
”That is good to know,” Minli said. ”It might be better if I go into the city by myself.”
”Yes,” the dragon agreed, ”I can hide at the edge of the forest and wait for you.”
”They close the wall at night,” the fish said, ”so if you are in the city at night, you have to stay until morning.”
”Do not worry,” Dragon said to Minli, ”I will wait.”
”Well, you're almost to land,” the fish said, ”so I'll leave you. If you ever see another dragon, find out if it's my aunt Jin. Hope you get to meet the Old Man of the Moon. Good luck!”
Minli and the dragon watched the fish swim away. Then they made their way to the land and the City of Bright Moonlight.
CHAPTER 17.
Minli gulped as she walked toward the gray stone wall of the city. As she pa.s.sed the two stone lions marking the entrance, she glanced behind her. Even though she only saw the trees and shadows, she knew the dragon was hidden there. Quickly, she pushed through the doors of gate, leaving the forest and the dragon behind her.
As the gate closed, Minli stared. The streets were crowded and bustling; the city seemed to be bubbling with people like boiling rice. Vendors selling fruit and shoes called out their wares while people rushed past - some pus.h.i.+ng wheelbarrows or balancing baskets on their shoulders. A large muddy water buffalo, led by a boy perhaps a year or two older than Minli, wandered through and was ignored as a commonplace occurrence.
”Watch out, Little Mouse,” a gruff man said behind her, his baskets of cabbages driving her into the crowd. As she was shoved and pushed, Minli grabbed the arm of the boy with the water buffalo.
”Hi,” she said, ”if I want to see the king, where do I go?”
”The king?” the boy looked at her in surprise. ”You'd have to go to the palace.”
”How do I get to the palace?” Minli asked.
”Just follow the black stones,” the boy said, pointing at the road paved with polished bricks. ”They'll lead you to the City.”
”Wait,” Minli said, ”isn't this the City? The palace is in another city?”
”You must not be from around here,” the boy laughed, ”The City of Bright Moonlight is divided into two. This is the Outer City, where anyone can live and travel. The Inner City is where the palace is, where the king and officials live. You have to have permission to go into the Inner City. If you don't, you're not going to be able to see the king or the palace. There are thousands of guards protecting the Inner City; they won't let anyone through without permission.”
”I'll find a way,” Minli said, confidently. ”Thanks.” And she let go of the boy's arm and headed toward the black road.
However, as Minli got closer to the Inner City, she realized the boy was right. The red walls of the Inner City loomed tall and forbidding, and every gold-studded gate door was guarded by at least two soldiers, their silver armor reflecting in the hot sun. It would be a daunting task just to enter the Inner City, much less find the palace and the king.
”But I must,” Minli said to herself. Regardless, the guards' faces were stern and hard, and she quaked inside. If I ask to go in, If I ask to go in, Minli thought as she hung back amongst the fruit stands and fish vendors, Minli thought as she hung back amongst the fruit stands and fish vendors, they'll ignore me or force me away with their swords. And either way, I won't be able to see the king. What should I do? they'll ignore me or force me away with their swords. And either way, I won't be able to see the king. What should I do?
”Not as easy as you thought, huh?” a voice said next to her. Minli turned and saw the buffalo boy standing next to her.
Minli gave him a wry look. Boys, Boys, she thought to herself, she thought to herself, always thinking they know everything. always thinking they know everything. Still, she had to admit, he was right. She had no idea how she would see the king. ”They must let people into the Inner City, sometimes,” Minli said. Still, she had to admit, he was right. She had no idea how she would see the king. ”They must let people into the Inner City, sometimes,” Minli said.
”They do,” the boy said. ”Once a year at the Moon Festival, they open the gates to everyone.”
”When's the Moon Festival?” Minli asked.
”Already happened,” the boy said. ”You'll have to wait until next year.”
Minli bit her lip in frustration. What was she going to do?
”I don't know why you want to go in there so badly,” the boy said. ”The buildings and clothes are nicer, but the people! A bunch of puffed-up frogs! At the Moon Festival one of the stable men wanted to order me around and thought he could trick me into thinking he was the king. But when I asked why he wasn't wearing a golden dragon, he knew his prank wasn't going to work. Did he think I was stupid? Everyone knows a golden dragon is always and only worn by kings and the emperor. The people in there think we're a bunch of dumb oxen.”
The buffalo beside the boy gave a snort at that. ”Sorry,” the boy said, patting the buffalo on the nose, ”you know I didn't mean that.”
But by this time, the Inner City guards had seen them lingering by the gate.
”You there, kids,” one of them barked. ”Move along!”
”Come on,” the boy said, tugging Minli's sleeve. ”Let's go.”
Minli followed him and the buffalo. ”Where are you going?” she asked him.
”I'm going home,” he said. ”You can come too, if you want.”
And since Minli had no place else to go, she did.
CHAPTER 18.
Minli followed the boy through the maze of streets and alleyways for what seemed like a long time. If it weren't for the big buffalo that was always in view, Minli would've easily lost him many times. ”Not too far now,” the boy said to her.
Minli realized that the boy lived very far from the Inner City. The road was no longer stone, but dirt. Even from a distance, she could see that the Outer City wall was cracked and broken. ”I live over here,” the boy said, pointing. And Minli looked down a muddy path that led to a shabby, rickety hut that looked as if the first strong wind would blow it away.
The boy brought the buffalo right into the hut, and Minli went in after. She looked around the small, meager home. The only furnis.h.i.+ngs Minli could see were two wooden crates and a rough stool. On one side of the hut a crude metal grate stood in the fireplace with a well-worn pot on it. The other half of the hut was divided into two piles of dry gra.s.s. Minli watched as the buffalo went directly to one pile and lay down. The boy gave it an affectionate slap on the side and dragged a rough wooden stool across the floor to her.
”Here, have a seat,” he said as he sprawled onto the other pile of gra.s.s, ”and tell me why you want to go to the palace so much.”
”It's not the palace,” Minli said as she sat on the stool, ”I want to see the king.” And she told the buffalo boy the whole story. She saw his face wrinkle with disbelief when she talked about the fish and he shook his head when she told about the dragon, but he didn't interrupt once.
”I don't know how you are going to see the king,” the boy told her when she finished. ”Even if you do see him I doubt you'll be able to ask for a borrowed line, especially when you don't even know what it is!”
”But I have to,” Minli said. ”There must be a way.”